Commercial Structure Fire in downtown Ventura

Ventura City Fire personnel and units responded to multiple reports of a structure fire in the downtown area in the 500 block of Main Street, Ventura, CA.

The first arriving unit of the initial alarm response reported smoke showing from the second story of a two-story residential-over-commercial structure. The response was upgraded, supply and attack hose lines deployed, and command was established. Support companies made access to the roof to perform vertical ventilation while engine companies made access up an interior stairwell to a second floor heavily involved with fire. An aggressive, coordinated interior attack allowed knockdown of the main body of the fire within 16 minutes of the first arriving unit. The size of the fire, combined with the construction type of the building, required extensive overhaul and checking for extension into both the concealed spaces and all adjoining occupancies. Businesses below that were not involved with fire were impacted by water runoff and salvage procedures were employed to protect the contents in those areas.

The fire occurred in, and was contained to, an area used primarily for meeting/conference activity, and not residential. The fire remains under investigation, one bystander was treated and released at the scene with a minor injury, no other injuries were reported at the time of this release.

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